NEW ROCHELLE, NY — In what is becoming a familiar pattern, the Blue Angel volleyball team posted straight set wins in both matches Saturday in a tri-match held at CNR’s Wellness Center, besting The King’s College and Bay Path College to run their win streak to eight and their consecutive straight set wins run to seven.
Against The King’s College in CNR’s HVIAC opener, Fabiola Padilla Rios continued her hot hand of late, swatting 11 kills while hitting at a .435 clip to pace the Blue Angel offense. She added 11 digs and three aces. Melanie Lopez Soto added match-highs of 11 digs and 20 assists, while Megan King (8 kills, .375 hitting) and Marissa Armstrong (6 kills, .313. hitting) each were efficient on the attack. Kylie Thesz added four solo blocks.
After conceding the opening point in the match, the Blue Angels ran off four straight to take the early lead, but the Lady Lions clawed back into the set, and the score was tied at 11-11 before another four point spurt from CNR gave the Blue Angels a 15-11 lead. A 4-1 run from TKC brought the score to 16-15, before CNR closed out the set scoring nine of the final 10 points for a 25-16 win.
The second set began with the Lady Lions again scoring the opening point, but there was to be no tension in this set, as CNR scored 20 of of the first 24 points of the set to cruise to a 25-7 win.
There was to be no repeat at the start of the third set, as CNR score first and tallied seven of the first nine points to take a 7-2 lead. With the lead at 16-9, the Blue Angels broke the set open with a 5-0 run en route to a 25-14 win.
A similar storyline developed against Bay Path, with Padilla Rios slamming home a match-high 15 kills. Armstrong dug up a match-high 17 balls while Indigo Flowers recorded a match-high 16 assists.
CNR overcame a 12-8 deficit in the opening set and used a 17-3 run to close out a 25-13 win in the first set. Set two was never close with the Blue Angels running away with a 25-5 win. The Wildcats never established an offensive rhythym all afternoon, falling 25-14 in the third set.
